Overview

• Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet laid out final arguments accusing Bolsonaro of leading an armed criminal organization to destabilize Brazil’s democracy after his 2022 defeat.
• The indictment ties Bolsonaro to a conspiracy that fueled the January 8, 2023, riots in Brasilia and aimed to dismantle the democratic rule of law.
• Bolsonaro rejected the charges as fabricated political persecution and denounced the trial as a “witch hunt” just hours before Gonet’s closing statement.
• President Trump has defended Bolsonaro, imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian imports linked to the trial, and decried Brazil’s handling of the case.
• The defense will now present its case before justices vote on a verdict expected in the latter half of 2025, with coup convictions carrying up to 12 years and additional penalties stretching sentences into decades.